Numerous techniques are known for dry or wet transposition of a decorative layer.
Conventionally, the wet route is the technique of wallpaper or decalcomania, while the dry route involves the use of a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, possibly protected by a peel-off layer until it is used.
Generally, these known techniques require that the decorative layer itself is on a support having a certain thickness, the effect of which (generally wished) being to attenuate the unevenness of the surface receiving the decorative layer. In addition, these techniques imply that the aspect of the decorative layer is defined in advance, thus lacking the possible to make custom decorations.
In order to alleviate these drawbacks, methods have been proposed that allow in particular applying a decorative film onto a support. For instance, patent application FR 2 881 681 discloses a method for manufacturing an article in particular for applying a decorative film onto a support, in which the following layers are applied in succession: a layer of paint material for forming a film on a support that can be demolded, a de-activable adhesive and then a porous support such as a fabric, allowing de-activation therethrough. The adhesive then generates between the film and the fabric adhesion forces which are greater than the those existing between the demoldable support and the film, so that is it possible, by traction on the fabric, to extract the film from the demoldable support.
A paint film is therefore obtained, which is ready for application onto a final support. Indeed, the only required operations are the fixation of the free surface of the film against the support by means of conventional adhesives, and the de-activation of the adhesive by means of water through the fabric, so as to allow the fabric to separate from the film, leaving the film on the final support.
However, this method suffers some drawbacks and limitations.
First of all, it generates waste and by-products inasmuch as, when the article is directly applied to the final support with the demoldable support involved, this support is often cut so as to adapt the shape of the article to the one of the final support. The support therefore cannot be recovered. In the meantime, the initial quality of the decasting support defines the quality of the final surface state of the article, so that the overall manufacturing cost of the article generally increases with the required level of finishing.
In addition, the support may be difficult to recycle, in particular because of the products used for adjusting its surface state or of its constituents so as to improve its properties of adhesion with the paint film (such PTFE, silicone, etc.).
Furthermore, the application of a water-deactivable adhesive on the film is liable to alter the film surface by causing turgescence or even migration of water through the film toward the casting support, in particular because of the microporosity of the paint materials. Besides, the use of such adhesives leaves stains on the surface of the paint material layer, so that the method requires a further step of cleaning the surface.
The invention therefore aims at alleviating all or part of these drawbacks of the prior art, and in particular seeks to provide a method for manufacturing an article allowing in particular the application of a decorative film onto a support, which is more environment friendly, and which is simple, fast and cheap to implement while providing an end product of improved quality, i.e. having a finish of improved quality, without requiring additional finishing steps.